Republic of Spanish Haiti

The Republic of Spanish Haiti was a short-lived state which existed on the island of Hispaniola from 1 December 1821 to 9 February 1822, with Santo Domingo serving as its capital. In 1820, the people of the Spanish-occupied eastern part of Hispaniola, led by Jose Nunez de Caceres, began plotting to form a union with Gran Colombia on the mainland of South America. Haitian president Jean-Pierre Boyer feared that Spain would invade from their colony of Santo Domingo, however, so Haiti proceeded to invade the region. On 1 December 1821, Spanish Haiti declared its independence and petitioned to join with Gran Colombia, but the slaves and servants did not want to be a part of a country ruled by the white elite, instead hoping to join with Haiti, which had already abolished slavery. While supporters of unification with Haiti raised the Haitian flag in several towns and cities, supporters of independence declared independence. On 30 December 1821, the Spanish Haitian rebels overthrew the government and signalled a change of government in the former colony with cannon fire. However, various elite families sought political stability under Haitian rule, and, on 9 February 1822, Boyer's Haitian army entered the capital of Santo Domingo, where Nunez de Caceres enthusiastically greeted him and offered to him the keys of the palace. It wasn't until 1844 that Spanish Haiti would regain independence as the Dominican Republic.